WO2003064248A1

WO2003064248A1 - Transportable diving system

Info

Publication number: WO2003064248A1
Application number: PCT/FR2003/000110
Authority: WO
Inventors: Benoît Saillet; Manuel Roure
Original assignee: Salomon S.A.
Priority date: 2002-02-01
Filing date: 2003-01-14
Publication date: 2003-08-07
Also published as: ATE302714T1; US20050000516A1; DE60301388D1; EP1470041A1; FR2835501A1; FR2835501B1; EP1470041B1

Abstract

The invention relates to an underwater diving system comprising a tank of breathing gas (12) which remains on the surface of the water. The inventive system is characterised in that: the breathing gas tank (12) is flexible and is integrated into a bag (16); the tank (12) is fully contained in the aforementioned bag (16) when it is empty; and the tank is partially deployed outside said bag when it is filled with breathing gas.

Description

TRANSPORTABLE DIVING SYSTEM

The invention relates to scuba diving systems comprising a reservoir of breathable gas which remains on the surface of the water.

In these systems, commonly called "hookahs", the plunger is connected to the tank by a supply circuit comprising a pipe which is generally relatively long to allow the plunger to move in a certain area around and below the tank. Unlike diving systems in which the diver takes the air tank with him underwater, the diver who uses a hookah system only carries underwater the hose whose free end is equipped with a mouthpiece or facial mask.

There are various types of tanks for hookah systems. Some are rigid, others are flexible. Among the advantages of flexible tanks, one can cite the fact that the tank is light and that it can be made very compact when the system is not used. This notably facilitates the problem of transporting the system to the practice site.

The principle of a hookah system with flexible tank is for example described in the document GB-2.164.259. A similar system is described in document EP-A-437,948.

However, the systems described in these documents do not take full advantage of the flexible nature of the tank and nothing is provided to facilitate the transport of the system.

The first object of the invention is therefore to propose a diving system which is both simple, practical and compact, and whose transport is easy. Furthermore, it is desirable that the tank remains floating on the surface even at the end of the dive, not only so that the dive system does not sink, but above all to form a buoy on which the diver can rest at the end of the dive. .

The invention therefore provides a scuba diving system comprising a breathing gas tank which remains on the surface of the water, characterized in that the breathing gas tank is flexible and is integrated in a carrying bag, in that that the reservoir is completely contained in the carrying bag when it is empty and in that the reservoir is partially deployed outside the carrying bag when it is filled with breathable gas.

Other characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, as well as on seeing the appended drawings in which: FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views illustrating the use of the diving system when it is in its deployed state; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the diving system when the tank is fully folded inside the backpack, the system being accompanied by accessories capable of being stored inside the bag; Figures 4 and 5 are schematic sectional views illustrating the deployed and folded positions; and Figure 6 is a schematic view illustrating a calibrated valve preventing complete deflation of the tank by the plunger. Illustrated in the figures is a diving system 10 comprising a tank of pressurized breathable gas 12 and comprising a supply circuit 14 which allows the underwater diver to breathe the gas contained in the tank 12. According to the invention , the reservoir is a flexible reservoir, in this case consisting of a flexible tube closed at its two ends, and it is intended to remain on the surface of the water. Thanks to the buoyancy of the tank when it is filled, the diving system forms a float capable of supporting at least part of the weight of the diver (see Figure 1), which can greatly help the latter to swim while swimming. the surface of the water to get to the exact site of his dive.

The supply circuit 14 is very schematically represented by a supply pipe 15 which is connected to the reservoir and the free end of which is provided with a mouthpiece 18 preferably incorporating a regulator through which the plunger can suck the breathable gas contained in the tank 12. When the plunger descends underwater (see Figure 2), the tank remains above it on the surface.

According to the invention, when the reservoir is filled with breathable air under pressure, it is in a deployed state as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. When it is empty, the flexible reservoir can be folded so to be fully received in a carrying bag 16 which is an integral part of the diving system. The carrying bag 16 is more particularly represented in FIG. 3 where it can be seen that it is a flexible backpack of traditional construction delimiting an internal compartment which can be accessed through an upper opening 18 , and two side openings 20, closed for example by a zipper. The bag 16 is also provided with carrying means comprising for example straps 22.

As can be seen in Figure 4, the reservoir tube 12 is completely included in the bag when it is folded. When the tank is supplied with pressurized breathing gas, it has a main portion which remains inside the main compartment delimited by the bag, and end portions, which correspond to the two ends of the tube, which extend to the outside of the bag through the side openings 20, which will of course have been opened before the inflation of the tank has started.

In the example illustrated, the reservoir is shaped by straps 24 which impose on the tube a particular shape once pressurized so that it does not deploy in a straight line. The central portion of the reservoir thus has in the figures a U-shape turned over with two branches, and the two end portions are encircled, for example by straps, so as to form a hairpin juxtaposed to one of the branches of the main portion. Thus circle, the tank 12 is deployed substantially in a plane so as to have a great stability on water. Advantageously, the end portions are deployed on each side of the bag in the manner of two longitudinal parallel floats, substantially in the plane of the bag. On the contrary, the central part of the reservoir tube is preferably permanently fixed inside the bag. As can be seen in the figures, the reservoir has an inlet-outlet valve 26 which, in the example illustrated, is connected to the central portion of the reservoir tube and which protrudes through an orifice provided for this purpose. indeed, outside the bag, on a front face opposite to a rear face on which the carrying means 22 are arranged. In this way, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the diving system is provided so that , when the reservoir 12 and its bag 16 float on the surface of the water, the carrying means are arranged on the emerged face of the system while the inlet-outlet valve 26 is arranged on the submerged face of the system. In this way, the connection of the pipe 15 of the supply circuit 14 to the tank 12 is carried out on the lower side of the floating assembly formed by the tank and the bag. This guarantees perfect stability of the assembly since it cannot cause the floating assembly to overturn if traction is exerted on the supply pipe 15.

The diving system 10 also includes means (not shown) which allow the tank to be filled with a breathable gas mixture such as air. These means can be a simple device for connection to an air compressor. It may also be means intended to be carried on board with the tank. The air will for example be stored in the reservoir 12 under a maximum pressure of for example between 4 and 20 bars.

Preferably, the reservoir will however have an inextensible maximum volume greater than 20 liters, a volume which will for example be reached from an absolute pressure of the order of 1.2 to 1.5 bars. From this pressure, the tank will have reached an "inflated" state and, beyond, its volume will no longer increase significantly. On the contrary, the reservoir will preferably have a very small external volume once "deflated". Advantageously, the reservoir will be dimensioned so that its maximum volume is of the order of 40 to 50 liters and so that it resists pressures of the order of 4 or 5 bars. In the example illustrated, the tube forming a reservoir consists of a woven reinforcement which is coated or embedded in a flexible, tight matrix, for example a polyurethane matrix. The material constituting the reservoir may also be a flexible and waterproof plastic material or the reservoir may be constructed with a multilayer material involving a first layer of a material ensuring mechanical resistance to pressure and at least one sealed internal layer. In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, provision is made for the diving system to include a device for filling the tank, for example a motorized pump or a human-action pump such as a manual pump 28. This pump 28 can thus be stored in the backpack, at least when the tank is in the folded configuration.

The bag will also allow the transport of other accessories, necessary or only useful for the implementation of the diving system, such as fins 50, a mask 52, a pressure gauge 53, or even a harness 54 provided with a rope 56 whereby the diver can tow the tank that remains on the surface without exerting any traction on the air supply pipe (see Figure 2). The backpack 16 may comprise, in addition to the main compartment in which the tank is received, auxiliary compartments, for example watertight compartments. It can also have a rigid or semi-rigid structure which can contribute to the comfort of carrying the bag. In all cases, we understand the interest that there is in the float retaining all of its flotation capacity, or at least a large part of it.

Also, according to the invention, the diving system 10 comprises a cut-off member 30 of the supply circuit 14 which, below a predetermined pressure threshold in the tank 12, prevents the plunger from drawing air into The reservoir. The predetermined pressure threshold will be determined as a function of the pressure necessary to maintain the reservoir 12 in an "inflated" state in which it retains all or at least a significant part of its flotation capacity.

This predetermined cut-off threshold could for example be an absolute pressure threshold in the tank. It can thus be set at an absolute pressure value between 1.2 and 1.5 bar. It may also be a relative pressure threshold in the tank with respect to atmospheric pressure, the cut-off device imposing a pressure in the tank greater than atmospheric pressure, for example from 50 to 500 millibars.

Illustrated in Figure 6 is an example of a cut-off member capable of being used for the implementation of the invention. The cut-off member 30 is here a calibrated valve made in the form of a non-return ball valve, a member which is known per se, and it is shown in the power cut-off position.

The valve 30 is for example integrated into the inlet-outlet valve 26. It comprises a seat 32 on which a ball 34, arranged on the downstream side of the threshold 32, is pressed upstream by a compression spring 36. When , on either side of the ball 34, the force of the air pressure in the reservoir 12 is greater than the sum of the force of the pressure in the supply pipe (i.e. the pressure in the diver's lungs when he seeks to breathe air) and from the preload of the spring 34, the ball 34 is detached from the seat 32 and the air can circulate from the reservoir 12 to the supply pipe 16, so towards the diver. On the contrary, as soon as the air pressure force in the reservoir 12 becomes less than said sum, the ball 34 is pressed by the spring 36 against the seat 32, which interrupts the circulation of air as illustrated in FIG. figure 2. The diver no longer continues to empty the tank; the air pressure inside the tank cannot therefore drop below a threshold value, so that the tank cannot deflate and retains its flotation capacity. In this embodiment, the threshold pressure is an absolute pressure which varies as a function of the depth at which the plunger is situated at the instant considered. Indeed, the pressure in the supply pipe is higher than atmospheric pressure and the value of the overpressure is proportional to the depth of the plunger. Advantageously, the value of this absolute pressure will decrease as the diver ascends, the latter regaining the capacity to suck in a little air after being ascended by a certain distance

Of course, the embodiment of the switching device which is proposed here is only a nonlimiting example. Other known cut-off members exercising the same function could be used for the implementation of the invention.

Claims

1. Scuba diving system comprising a breathable gas tank (12) which remains on the surface of the water, characterized in that the breathable gas tank (12) is flexible and is integrated in a carrying bag (16), in that the reservoir (12) is completely contained in the carrying bag (16) when it is empty and in that the reservoir is partially deployed outside the carrying bag when it is filled breathable gas.

2. Diving system according to claim 1, characterized in that the tank (12) comprises at least a portion formed by a flexible tube;

3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the reservoir portions in the form of a flexible tube are kept in shape (24) to avoid complete unfolding of the tube when it is filled.

4. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tank (12) has a main portion which remains inside the carrying bag (16) when the tank is filled.

5. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when it is filled, the reservoir (12) has a volume greater than 20 liters.

6. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the backpack (16) has sufficient capacity to contain, in addition to the tank (12), system accessories such as a supply circuit (14), a nozzle and / or a pump (28) for filling the reservoir.

7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the filling pump is a human action pump (28).

8. Diving system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a supply circuit (14) by which a plunger is connected to the flexible tank (12) for drawing breathable gas therefrom, and in that the system comprises a member (30) for cutting off the supply circuit which cuts off the supply of breathing gas to the plunger when the pressure in the tank (12) becomes lower than a predetermined cutoff threshold.

9. Diving system according to claim 8, characterized in that the cut-off threshold is predetermined so as to maintain the tank (12) in an inflated state.

10. Diving system according to any one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the cut-off member (30) is interposed in the supply circuit (14).

11. Diving system according to claim 10, characterized in that the cut-off member is a valve (30).

12. Diving system according to claim 11, characterized in that the valve (30) comprises a shutter (34) which is pressed, in the upstream direction, against a shutter seat (32) by return means elastic bands (36) which prevent the valve (30) from opening when the pressure in the reservoir (12) is below a predetermined threshold.

13. Diving system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrying bag is a backpack.